Revelation 13:1-17

Temple Section-The Wild Beast

1 The dragon, not John, was stationed so as to bring up the wild beast.

1 The beast from the sea (which is the equivalent of the abyss) has hitherto enacted the role of a deceiver and is known as the false christ (Mat_24:5 cf. Rev_6:1-2) and the white horse rider. That was in the political sphere. This is the religious section. Here the figure is a wild beast and corresponds to the antichrist. The wild beast is a composite of the four beasts of the seventh of Dan_:1. Lion 1 heads 0 horns

2. Bear 1 heads 0 horns

3 Leopard 4 heads 0 horns

4 Nondescript 1 heads 10 horns The Wild Beast 7 heads 10 horns Here we have the same wild beasts seen by Daniel after the nondescript has devoured the other three. The Chaldee k'd' m, before, refers to position, not time (Dan_7:7; Dan_7:10), and may have the sense of east as in Hebrew. In that case the ten-horned beast is a confederacy of western powers and the other three beasts are eastern powers.

It will be noted that worship rather than rule is the dominant note here. These beasts bring before us kingdoms and confederacies bound together by a common religion. The western beast will be confederate Christendom. The ten horns will be ten Christian military powers.

There are, in the East, three great religions, Brahmanism in India, Buddhism in Japan and China, Islamism or Mohammedanism in the Arab world and elsewhere. All these will form three great eastern combinations which will be, in time, conquered by Christendom, and absorbed into the one great world religion which will worship the dragon and the wild beast. Thus a confederacy of the whole world's religious powers will be concentrated against the few Jews who remain faithful to Jehovah.

7 This world empire will not be limited to any ancient boundaries but will include every tribe and people and language and nation- all who dwell on the earth -not only the Roman empire.

10 As the beast is to conquer the saints during its period of forty-two months, the saints are warned not to commit any acts of violence during this period. They are exhorted to endure to the end.

Temple Section-The Second Wild Beast

11 The second wild beast emphasizes the religious character of the first. It is called a prophet (Rev_16:13), and makes every effort to get worship for the beast. The calling down of fire from heaven was the test of deity in Elljah's day: "the God Who answers by fire, He is God" (1Ki_18:24). Hence this will be a "strong delusion" (2Th_2:11) like the giving of life to the image. There is a marked similarity between the career of the first beast and Christ. As the Lord was crucified and raised again, so the wounded head descends into the abyss and is recalled to life by the dragon. Before that he will be a deceiver. The second beast is also patterned after Christ, for it points to the first, even as Christ points to the Father.

15 Spirit is the source of life. "The spirit is that which is vivifying" (Joh_6:63). So that, giving spirit to the Image results in its manifesting signs of life. This is man's poor imitation of Christ, Who is the Image of God (Col_1:15). But God's Anointed was given God's Spirit, not only to speak, as this image, but to give life. This image cannot give life, but causes all who do not bow to it to be killed. After centuries of civiilzation and culture and religion, mankind will actually descend to the worship of an image because it has miraculous powers!

16 The "mark" of the wild beast will be the emblem or flag or symbol of the world confederation. It must be worn, or be branded, in a most conspicuous place so that anyone may be able to tell at a glance if anyone is not a worshiper of the beast. Such a mark or badge has often been used to indicate polltical or rellgious affillations, and usually consists of some appropriate and significant design expressive of the character or purpose of the unity which it represents. As all who belong to the body of Christ will be in heaven by this time, all the world will gladly receive this badge as the pledge of their allegiance to the world federation of religion, except the few Jews who will be faithful to Jehovah.